Little Delights
by WolvesandFae
Summary: Rumors of the old bakery being taken over by the late owner's granddaughter had been circling for a while now. Hungry, Aoi wandered into the bakery unprepared for what he would find despite knowing the rumors.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** I recently found this and decided to share. If this is something interesting and it gets enough support/ encouragement, I might decide to continue it.

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own anything from Kaichou wa Maid-sama! I own my OC, so please ask if you wish to use them.

* * *

 _Story Start_

One of the many city taxis slowly pulled away from the front of an old bakery that was down the street from a popular maid café. Standing in front of the rundown building was a determined looking woman. With two suitcases and a single backpack in hand she charged forward into the two-story building. The first floor was the same as she remembered it, only with a little more dust. Her bright green eyes took in the sight as her mind devised plans.

Muscle memory had her walking to the stairs and climbing them. On the second floor she came face to face with the home portion of the building. Unlocking the door that stood in the way, she set her matching blue luggage down just inside the entrance. Slowly wandering into the living space of the building, Gen watched ghost-like memories race around the dusty rooms. Her mind gradually placing dreamed possibilities over the resurfacing past.

It was here, in this very building, where she would bring her dreams out of her mind and into the tangible world. Passing the small table that used to hold keys, she paused for a moment to look at herself in the small mirror mounted on the wall.

A smile played on her lips at the site she knew she was presenting to the outside world. The skirt she wore was a dark green that fell just an inch above the floor with her wedge-heeled sandals on. On her shoulders was a long sleeved maroon cardigan that was left open to display the front of a green shirt with a sakura tree design in the same color as the cardigan. The smile turned into a smirk while a strand of dark obsidian hair was tucked behind her ear.

"Looks like I'm not gonna dress like this for awhile. Hope you don't mind Grandma and Grandpa, but this place is gonna get an extreme makeover."

* * *

The costumers at Maid Latte had been talking a lot lately, but it had nothing to do with the maids who served them for once.

"Do you have any idea as to what everyone is talking about?" Misaki asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"They're all talking about a bakery that's opening in a few weeks. There's a bunch of rumors going around about it." Aoi held out a flier for the maid to look at. "Apparently it's going to be where that old bakery was down the street. From what I've heard the granddaughter of the couple who ran the place came about three months ago and has been remodeling it ever since she moved in."

"Hmm. 'Little Delights'. Sounds like a nice place. Maybe I'll stop by when it opens," Misaki absent-mindedly commented.

Aoi lifted a finger to silence her. "Also, the granddaughter is said to be really pretty, but she dresses in disgusting and unflattering clothes all the time. If she dressed up then she could probably get any guy she wanted."

"Really Aoi-kun, you shouldn't put so much stock in rumors," the practical girl lectured before returning to her work. Pausing at the door she turned and shot the boy dressed in girl clothing an annoyed look. "And you shouldn't be back here. You know that. Now out." She pointed out the door. The young boy pouted, but left regardless. He didn't feel like pushing his luck after what happened the last time he tried to stay in the kitchen.

* * *

 _Weeks Later_

Aoi grumbled as he walked away from the maid café his aunt ran. Usui was working today and he really didn't want to deal with him and Misaki flirting. A wave of compliments and swooning came from the crowd of boys surrounding the cutely dressed male as he pouted. He was actually hungry today too.

Then a scent of fresh baked bread filled his nose, making his mouth water. The long hair of his blonde wig bounced as he looked for the source. Just ahead to his right was the bakery he had been reading about for what seemed like ages now. There were obviously foreign people sitting at the tables set by the window. Aoi made up his mind before his stomach had a chance to growl again.

A bell above the door jingled as he entered, for once thankful that the swooning group of fans were too distracted to notice he slipped away. The inside of the bakery smelled even better than he imagined. Soft, quiet music played from a small radio behind the display case filled with different breads and pastries that looked like they were from different parts of the world.

"Here you are Yamamoto-san. Two large loaves of cranberry bread. That will be -" Aoi lost track of what the voice was saying at that point.

The elderly woman moved and Aoi laid eyes on what had to be the new owner of the little bakery. She was taller than expected, and her skin was naturally tanned in a way that made her skin look like a perfectly baked biscuit. The sunbeams coming through the window fell over her tied back obsidian hair, turning parts of it to a dark brown color. Green eyes glanced at the young Japanese boy and the woman smiled gently at him. In this moment Aoi knew she was a foreigner of mixed blood.

"Hello. Is there something you would like?" her voice was still soft as if to not disturb the customers sitting in her shop.

Looking at the numerous choices, Aoi struggled to make a decision. There were so many things! Breads, scones, cookies, muffins, tarts, fruit pasties, and more! There were several things he had only ever seen on the internet!

"I'll have two of the apple turnovers," he finally decided.

"Alright then. Would you like them warm?" the woman's mannerisms were very American in nature, although she did seem to be trying to tone them down. Aoi nodded and watched as the baker collected his desired pastries. The bake goods were placed inside a small toaster oven with a timer set. They exchanged money and Aoi was encouraged to take a seat.

Sitting awkwardly in his seat, Aoi tried to understand what was happening. Oh, sure he knew what to do in a place like this. He was just…caught off guard by the cozy and relaxing environment, that's all. It certainly wasn't because the owner was much prettier than he thought she'd be. He certainly wasn't distracted by her nicely pleated navy dress pants or her green short sleeved shirt that did nothing and yet everything to make her body more appealing. Nor how—

"Here you go. I hope you enjoy." Aoi startled and looked up as the baker set his warm pasties on the table with a slightly steaming cup or what looked like hot chocolate.

"Bakery-san, I didn't order a drink," the boy dressed as a girl pointed out.

The woman smiled at him again. "It's on the house, Aoi-chan."

"W-Wait, you know who I am?" the boy gasped.

"It's kind of hard to miss when there is a sudden influx of customers all whispering 'Aoi-chan' while staring at you," the woman giggled; it was a tiny little sound.

"S-still, I—"

"Nope, it's on the house. My name is Shiro Gen. Just let me know if you need anything." With one last smile she walked back to the register to serve one of Aoi's many fans that had come in since he sat down.

He should feel insulted, or guilty while also happy, that he was given a free drink that he would normally have to pay for, even if he had unintentionally brought her more customers. But he didn't. A healthy blush spread over his cheeks as he took a sip of the admittedly good hot chocolate and nibbled on one of his apple turnovers.

Maybe he would come here more often.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** So I've decided to toy with this idea a bit. I'm not promising regular updates like I normally do for my stories. This is purely something that I'll work on when I fancy. So I hope you enjoy.

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own anything from Kaichou wa Maid-sama! I own my OC, so please ask if you wish to use them.

* * *

 _Part 1_

Gen smiled to herself as she restocked the display case with fresh baklava. Business was surprisingly booming. The reason could be any number of things. The shop had the soft cozy feel she remembered her grandparents creating in the past. For the most part the place was quiet. She was on a main street, but there were other businesses serving food too, including a maid-café a few blocks down. Maybe her success was because she handled the fast paced life-style here in the city well, having been exposed to a slightly less severe version in the U.S. Or maybe it was the tourists that seemed to like having more options than fast food restaurants and expensive coffee shops.

The bell over the door rang yet again. Since it was a slow part of the day, the woman looked up and greeted her new customer. Or not so new in this case.

Aoi-chan, the internet celebrity that had entered her bakery about a week ago, came strolling in looking as cute as ever. The cute girl had become a regular, normally causing an influx of patrons when she sat and enjoyed herself. She always had a hot chocolate with her food. Her favorite so far was apple turnovers.

Aoi-chan could also be part of the reason for her success too now that she thought about it.

"Good afternoon, Aoi-chan," Gen greeted warmly.

"Good afternoon, Baker-san," the celebrity replied.

"How many times do I have to tell you? You can call me Shiro-san at least." Gen gave a tiny pout, before smiling at the blush showing through the young girl's make-up.

"That's not proper though!" Aoi-chan protested.

The older woman chuckled softly at the reaction. "You'll cave eventually." The blush grew darker, finally at a shade of red that clashed with the pastel colors she wore. "So what will it be today? I just put some fresh baklava out."

"Fresh what?"

"Baklava. It's the flakey looking triangle shaped pastries. They're pretty sweet and rich tasting so they might be a bit much. There's nuts in there too just in case you're allergic. It originates from the Ottoman Empire. I personally love them."

"I will try that then." Gen nodded in acknowledgement.

"So how are things today?" the backer asked as she started making the hot chocolate.

Aoi-chan started talking. Well, it was more like ranting. It was the favorite topic again; the girl that worked for the celebrity's aunt that did nothing to look cute or pretty. Every few days or so the young star would rant about this girl and how it was unbelievable that she had guys falling for her still. Gen would wisely keep her mouth shut about the fact that Aoi-chan constantly had men of all ages falling over themselves to please her.

Bringing the small dessert and drink to the usual table, the baker smiled to herself as the still ranting girl followed. She was still going even after her first sip of hot chocolate! The other regulars were accustomed to this by now. Aoi-chan was a young celebrity and thus was allowed to get away with such behavior. Well, that and the lack of simpering fans the followed her everywhere meant Gen had a moment to spare for her. While the customer influx was appreciated, it was extremely annoying to hear they sigh and swoon over the young girl.

When the curly haired blonde paused for a breath, the older woman jumped at the chance to tease her again. "You know, with how much you talk about that girl, one would think you had a crush on her."

"I do not like her!" the girl sputtered. "She is nothing compared to the person I like!"

A devious grin spread on Gen's lips as a blush took over Aoi-chan's face again. "Oh? You like someone? What are they like?"

"I—um—th-they are smart, tall, passionate about wh-what they do, and—um—they l-look really nice every time I s-see them," Aoi-chan stuttered endearingly.

"Awe, they sound really nice. I hope they return your feelings." This was the first time Gen had heard concrete evidence of Aoi-chan liking someone. She wanted the best for the girl.

"Th-They don't know I like them." Was the displeased response, complete with a little pout.

"Are you going to tell them?"

"Maybe? I'm not sure if they would even want to date me."

Gen placed her hands flat on the table a few inches from the small, doll-like hands of the other. "I can't see why they wouldn't. If you're really worried then try being they're friend first. Maybe once they get to know you they'll want to date you."

A bright red blush overtook Aoi-chan's face, telling the business woman just how bad this crush really was. The blonde was about to speak when something caught the older woman's attention. Seto-san, a man in his thirties who was one of her favorite regulars, was looking extremely pained, clutching at his chest.

"Excuse me, Aoi-chan." The usual friendliness the black haired woman usually exuded faded away to deep concern. She hurried towards the man only to have his collapse just as she was going to ask if he needed assistance.

A startled shriek escaped her, drawing everyone's attention. If they hadn't noticed before then, they certainly were now. In a panic, Gen knelt on the floor next to the pained man. She pressed two fingers on the neck pulse point feeling the frighteningly slow heart rate.

"Someone call an ambulance!" she shouted in a panic.

Someone did and it felt like forever for the medics to arrive. Gen stayed with Seto-san for as long as she could before moving out of the way. Even after they left she stayed on the floor, staring at the door.

* * *

Aoi carefully watched the baker like everyone else in the small shop. Seeing someone collapse wasn't all that uncommon. Obviously Gen-san wasn't used to it. She was clearly hyperventilating, or at least trying to take deep breaths. The woman shakily stood, a feat made more difficult by her floor length black and red skirt. A delicate, yet hard working hand rested against the solid red T-shirt as the baker moved to the coffee machines. She poured herself a cup of coffee, taking several sips of the likely scalding liquid before the business owner heaved a great sigh. She returned to her seat across from Aoi, a look of worry and resignation on her face.

"So, um, where, uh, what were you going to say?" Her voice was shaky and loud in the silent shop.

"Are you alright, Baker-san?" the boy quietly asked. The baker sighed, taking another sip of her black coffee.

"I will be. The shock will wear off after a while." She rested her cup on the table. "I'm sorry for making a scene," she raised her voice the slightest bit, to make it obvious she was addressing all the customers in her establishment.

Aoi felt his chest ache at the shaky smile directed his way. He didn't like that fake cheer, or fake confidence. It rubbed him the wrong way. Seeing the woman he liked desperately trying to hold the shattered pieces of her easy going confidence made him feel like an ice sculpture with a sledge hammer posed to strike him.

For her sake he started talking about the new clothes he was going to buy as a distraction. He wasn't going to entertain the idea of restarting the previous embarrassing conversation.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything from Kaichou wa Maid-sama! I own my OC, so please ask if you wish to use them.

* * *

 _Part 2_

Gen was in a phenomenal mood today. Seto-san had come back the day before profusely apologizing for making a scene when he collapsed. She had laughed and told him he should only apologize for worrying her. He ordered his coffee, earning himself a teasing remark that he probably shouldn't drink it due to his health. The chuckle he let out filled the woman with a warm bubbly feeling that persisted the rest of the day.

The bell over the door jingled. Looking up from her perfectly backed scones, the baker came face to face with a rather pretty, yet average looking young woman in a high school uniform for the local public school.

"Good morning. Looking for a quick bite before school?" Gen smiled, but cursed her habit of using American mannerisms in her head. Hopefully the girl would understand.

The girl looked a little confused, her eyes darting between the numerous products in the display case.

"I don't know what to get," she muttered.

Oh! A bakery novice! It had been a while since one came into her shop. "Well, do you want something sweet or non-sweet?"

"Non-sweet. Or at least a mild sweetness."

"Looking for cheapest thing or do you not care?" Judging by the uniform Gen could guess what she would pick.

"Cheapest please." Yep, just like the rest of the students that buy from her. It was almost a universal rule that students buy the cheapest things on the menu.

"How do you feel about strawberries and other fruits?"

"They're okay."

"All right." Gen walked to the far end of the display case and pulled out one of the top shelf trays. "I have scones and muffin tops. Strawberry, blueberry, banana, and cherry flavors. Cheapest things on the menu next to the plain croissant"

The girl came forward, looking at each pastry critically. She nodded to herself and pointed to the muffin tops. "I'll take the strawberry muffin thing"

"Strawberry muffin top it is then. How many would you like?"

"Eight?" Either she was really hungry or she was going to share with some friends.

"Sure thing. Let me get you a box so they don't fall apart on you." And it would give the baker time to make a note to make more since the girl cleaned out that flavor. Muffin tops were popular this week.

"I've never been in here before," the girl commented.

"Really? I'm not surprised. We're more popular with tourists and non-Japanese people." The type of people that didn't want to eat McDonalds for every meal.

"I'm surprised. This place is nice."

"Thank you for saying so. I'm just happy I make enough to survive."

"Is the salary low?" Oops, she didn't mean to worry the poor girl.

"Depends on how business goes. I'm not going to pay myself if the business doesn't make any money."

"Wait. Pay yourself? What do you—Are you the owner?" the girl gaped in surprise.

Gen chuckled, "Yes, I am."

The girl gaped for a moment, then pulled out her wallet to pay. She seemed surprised by the price, but happily paid and took her purchase.

"Thank you, Baker-san."

"You're welcome. Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have a good day—"

"Ayuzawa Misaki."

"Ah, well I hope you have a good day Ayuzawa-san."

It was about half an hour later that Gen realized why the girl's name was so familiar.

* * *

Misaki sat at her chair in the student council room, slowly eating the pastry she had saved for herself. Aoi had unfortunately been right about a lot of things when talking about the bakery Little Delights. She hated admitting that the boy was right about anything.

Manager-san had gushed about the food when Aoi had brought her some. The fact that Aoi now frequented the bakery more than the café spoke volumes on its own. The boy was very tight-lipped about what he did there. All he would say was that the food was different and interesting. The one time he spoke about the owner after he became a regular was when he said she was nice. He didn't mention her looks which was unusual for him. Misaki hadn't had any real expectations, but she certainly hadn't expected what she found.

The bakery was comfortable and warm with soft music playing in the background. Almost like it was a well loved family kitchen. The food looked amazing and decently priced! And then there was the woman standing behind the various baked goods. She was dressed in faded blue jeans and a blue T-shirt. Their eyes locked and Misaki was struck by just how foreign she was. Then she spoke, using mannerisms different from what the high schooler was used to.

The student council president shrugged. Baker-San was not a native Japanese woman, but she made some really good food.

"What are you eating?" Usui asked, appearing out of nowhere.

"Strawberry muffin top. Now I would like my personal space back, Alien." She glared hard at him for disturbing her peace.

"From the new bakery?" He leaned in closer, making the space between them uncomfortably small. For a second Misaki thought he was going to kiss her. Then he dipped his head, taking a large bite out of her pastry.

"Hmm, this is pretty good."

"You-you—" the flustered girl screamed, throwing the source of her emotional distress out of the student council room. The half eaten baked good left forgotten on the desk as she chased him through the halls.

"What? It's just a pastry."

"It was mine!"

* * *

"How was your day?" Aoi asked the beautiful woman as she made his hot chocolate.

"A little quiet so far. I did get to meet someone new earlier this morning though," she stated in an happy voice.

"Oh? Who?" It was so cute how she got excited about meeting new people.

"A certain Ayuzawa Misaki." Aoi felt his eyes widen in shock. "She's a very polite young woman. Came in for a quick bite before school." The woman's hand lifted to wave in a dismissive manner. Talking with her hands was a habit that Gen often did unconsciously. It was a cute habit he refused to point out in case she decided to stop it.

"You…met her?" he asked nervously.

"Yep." She smiled at him. He hoped she wouldn't notice the sweat that was starting to form on his brow.

"And?" he prompted.

"And she was a customer," the baker laughed. "Calm down Aoi-chan. It's not like I went to your Aunt's café to meet her for gossip. I have no idea what you're so worried about."

He was worried about the waitress saying something bad about him. "You know I don't like her," he huffed.

"Yes, yes, I know." She lifted the completed beverage and delicious looking cake slice into her hands, "Same table as always?"

The boy nodded, following the baker like a love struck fool as usual. He would do damage control later. Right now, the wonderful creature before him required his full attention.


End file.
